Chapter 1

My husband, Stellan Rook, said his company was so broke he couldn't even afford a bookkeeper. To help him, I signed up for an adult accounting class at the community college.

During class, one of the students projected her brother-in-law's company expenses onto the screen for us to analyze.

That was how I discovered that the man she called her brother-in-law was my husband—and that his business was doing very well.

My name and the last digits of my bank account number were on the screen. Three hundred dollars a month, labeled “Dog Food.”

The recipient listed directly below me was Odette Mercer. Thirty thousand dollars a month, labeled “Wife's Living Expenses.”

The three hundred dollars Stellan sent me every month was “Dog Food” in his books.

At the front of the room, Romilly Mercer was still talking.

“The next sheet shows the expenses after the dividends went into his personal account. My brother-in-law says all the payments go through here, even the money he sends the maid for dog food.”

Someone in the back sounded impressed.

“Romilly, your brother-in-law's company is that big?”

She lifted her chin.

“Of course. He's Stellan Rook, the founder of Rook Logistics.”

I dug my nails into my palms just to keep myself in my seat.

A soft female voice came from the doorway.

“Romilly.”

Romilly hurried over, smiling, and linked her arm through the woman's.

“Everyone, meet my sister, Odette. She's Mr. Rook's wife, and he adores her.”

…

I took in her tailored cashmere coat, the diamond watch on her wrist, even her hair, which looked as if she'd just stepped out of a salon.

To save Stellan money, I hadn't even let myself buy more face cream when mine ran out.

Luckily, I'm still young. The exhaustion of all those years hasn't shown on my face yet.

The classroom came alive. Everyone wanted a moment with the wealthy Mrs. Rook.

I sat there, my hands and feet cold, my chest numb with pain.

My phone vibrated, and I glanced down.

It was a message from Stellan.

“Sorry, honey. This business trip's going to take another month.”

“For now, I can only send you a hundred and fifty dollars this month.”

“The company doesn't have enough cash coming in. I need to get out there and find more clients.”

“Thanks for taking care of things at home.”

For years, he'd always been away, working.

Yet the company never seemed to make any money.

I paid the mortgage, his mother's prescriptions, and the medical bills her insurance didn't cover.

I handled our daughter's school drop-offs and pickups. I was still paying off the loan he'd taken out in my name to start the business, too.

He gave me three hundred dollars a month and refused to give me a cent more.

I'd thought he was struggling to get the business off the ground. I'd never pushed him to bring home more money.

He'd long since made a home with another woman.

“Odette, sit here. This is the only seat left.”

I snapped back to the room. Romilly had already brought Odette over to me.

“Iona, my sister can sit next to you, right?” She pulled out Odette's chair as soon as she'd asked.

I took a deep breath.

“Sure.”

Odette smiled at me. There was nothing arrogant about her manner.

She was actually very friendly.

Suddenly, someone behind me pointed at the screen.

“Iona, someone's got your name on there.”

“Where? Let me see.”

“That entry in the middle.”

“Which one?”

“Number nineteen. The one labeled dog food.”

“You're right. Iona Vale—even the last name's the same.”

The laughter in the classroom stopped. A few people gave me awkward looks.

Odette stepped in to smooth things over.

“It's not that strange for two people to have the same name. Iona's a lovely name.”

“The maid Stellan hired for his mother has that name, too. She also feeds the dogs.”

“My mother-in-law told me the maid's very reliable. She never slacks off.”

She looked at me kindly.

“You seem like a very reliable person, too.”

Romilly chimed in.

“Of course she is. Iona's always the first to turn in her assignments, and she works harder than any of us.”

My heart sank a little further.

The woman I'd cared for like my own mother had long since found a daughter-in-law she preferred.

She and her son had been lying to me together for years.